LIFE - SEEDFORCE

Italy is home to 104 taxa of vascular plants of European Union interest, threatened of extinction, most of them endemic. The extinction risk that these species face is caused by intrinsic factors and human-induced habitat modifications. The most significant is the abandonment of the traditional agricultural and land management practice. SEEDFORCE draws on the collective expertise of 11 institutions in Italy and 3 in France, Malta, and Slovenia that have the capacity to conserve 29 Annex II species. SEEDFORCE combines in situ and ex situ plant conservation strategies that include: improve habitat quality implementing traditional land management practice; collect and store seeds for long-term conservation; propagate target species, producing a total of no less than 50,000 individuals to be used for reintroduction and habitat reinforcement, monitor and maintain in each N2000 site optimal conditions; deliver long-term agreements with managing authorities; reach out to the public to increase support for plant conservation; contribute to education and training at all levels.